


Avant et Après

by Inevitinfini



Category: Hetalia: Axis Powers
Genre: Abusive Parents, Alternate Universe - Human, Bisexual Arthur Kirkland, Bisexual Francis Bonnefoy, Childhood Friends, Fluff and Angst, Forbidden Love, M/M, Punk England (Hetalia), Queer Themes, Reunions
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-26
Updated: 2020-03-26
Packaged: 2021-02-28 23:20:34
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,038
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23325391
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Inevitinfini/pseuds/Inevitinfini
Summary: It's been 12 years since they were forcibly separated, how is Arthur supposed to know how to react when his childhood friend suddenly reappears in his life? They immediately want to reconnect, but has too much changed in all that time?
Relationships: England/France (Hetalia)
Comments: 2
Kudos: 33





	Avant et Après

In a crowded underground club, Arthur sat slumped in the seedy pub, nursing some rum while listening to the local talent absentmindedly. He often came to this specific place because it's known for gathering alternative crowds, at least here he tended to receive fewer odd stares from his state of dress. He scanned the venue with his eyes, quietly observing groups of wildly dressed, predominantly androgynous folk young and old as they shuffled around the dark concert room in packs. He'd never been one for groups, having a whole litter of obnoxious brothers ensured that Arthur preferred to be alone, but he did find it interesting to observe the patterns of behavior seen in social groups. He'd had friends over the years of course, but not many close friends in recent years. He finished off his drink and set the glass down, sliding out of his seat and heading for the door to smoke a cigarette outside. 

The place was built inside of an old WWII bunker, the main hall of what was initially planned to be an underground barracks becoming the concert hall, with spanning tunnels and rooms branching out from the main hall. It had been cheekily named the Gutter, which Arthur always found rather amusing and suitable for the dank concrete and neon. He walked up the narrow, dimly lit stairway to the exit, stepping out into the cloudy night. He seated himself on the nearest bench, lighting his cigarette and staring up at the moon for several minutes as it peeked through the clouds. 

"Arthur?!" 

He was ripped from his thoughts at the sound of a voice calling his name in surprise. He turned to face the direction of the shout, finding a tall, long haired blonde fellow walking briskly toward him with a look of disbelief. Arthur's brow drew up in confusion as the man got closer, then, it clicked. "Francis?!" He certainly looked more mature, and he'd grown even more of a beard since, the darker shadow on his face had thrown Arthur off. He looked more broad shouldered, and held his head higher than ever, Arthur internally noted. He'd always had long hair, Arthur thought, but he noticed that now it was more than half a foot longer than it had been last they saw each other, falling over his shoulders elegantly. Arthur never did look as nice as Francis with long hair, he remembered fondly.

Arthur blinked incredulously as Francis stopped in front of him, taking in Arthur's appearance. "Arthur! Mon dieu, it IS you! It's been how long?" Francis took a moment to do the math, his face dropping as he did. "12 years? How time flies." 

Arthur's mind froze in time for a moment as he processed who stood before him. He hadn't seen Francis since he was 18 years old, and before that, the pair were known for causing trouble. Also known for bickering, but they'd always been best friends ultimately, even if they acted as rivals. Here he sat, 30 years old, with his estranged childhood friend standing in front of him smiling like no time had passed despite how different they looked. 

Arthur was still just staring in shock, shaking his head slowly in disbelief. "I can't believe I'd run into you randomly like this more than a decade later, I thought you'd returned to Paris for good?" Francis winced, laughing nervously and seating himself casually next to Arthur on the bench. "You could say I had a...conflict of interest with my father-" Arthur made a pained face, nodding understandingly as he took a drag. "Ahh, no further explanation necessary. What's brought you back to England then?" 

"Work, I travel often in the fashion industry. I operate as a talent scout and a designer, my job is to predict what's fashionable before it's in style, and to find aspiring models. I've heard this bar is known for having eccentrically dressed patrons, so I came by chance." He eyed Arthur's changed look with a smirk. "I can see I was certainly correct about the eccentric patrons, hm?" 

Arthur snorted quietly, rolling his eyes in amusement. Arthur now had many tattoos, his hair was a bit shaggy and teased into an intentional mess, it was stained nearly pink at the tips, a result of it being dyed crimson a year prior and being allowed to fade on its own. Most of all, Francis took note of Arthur's piercings, several metal bits hanging from his ears, a bar through his right eyebrow, and a stud in the center of his bottom lip. He wore chipped black nail polish, multiple crude knotted leather bracelets, distressed tartan skinny jeans, tall black boots with purple laces, a diy patched vest, and a T-shirt announcing his appreciation for The Who. He'd certainly changed things up. 

When they were teens, Arthur was a fairly straight-laced looking, sweater vest wearing, perfectly average bloke for his age. Seeing him dressed so boldly made Francis wonder what had changed him so much. "What have you been up to? I have many questions." Francis laughed as he gestured vaguely to Arthur's appearance. "It's a good look, but I'm quite surprised I even recognized you." 

Arthur laughed under his breath, snubbing his cigarette in the ashtray that sat atop the trashcan next to him. "How long do you have? It could take days to catch you up, mate." Francis' face lit up and he smiled with a wink, "Fortunately for you, mon ami, I'm in London indefinitely for the time being. I've traveled quite a lot in the past several years and just so happened to choose here when I decided to take a break from constantly switching flights. Somewhere familiar, but far enough from my family, you see." 

Arthur paused at this, finding himself happier than he had been in a very long time at the thought of seeing Francis regularly again, even if it was temporary. "Well, if you've got time tonight we can catch up plenty at my flat if you'd like, I was just about to head back. I know you came to the pub for a reason though, so I understand if you're busy at the moment." He offered, trying not to sound too hopeful despite himself. Francis scoffed, clicking his tongue at Arthur in a scolding tone, "As if I'd pass up a night chatting with my long lost partner in crime for work! Ha! It really has been too long, hasn't it? You've forgotten my talent for ditching boring obligations to do literally anything else, besides, it's not like I have an appointment. Scouting can wait." They stood simultaneously and Arthur led the way, laughing at Francis' unchanged attitude. "Ah yes, however could I forget the star truant?" He teased, flagging a cab as they walked.

Upon being dropped off, Arthur led Francis up to his flat with a non-committal and sarcastically theatrical flourish as they stepped inside. "It's modest, but it's livable." Francis didn't feel any impulse to judge, he had a feeling that Arthur was getting no help at all and was getting by purely out of spite based on what he'd learned so far. At least Arthur's pride and stubborn self sufficiency hadn't changed. The place was humble, but it was no hovel. Arthur managed to make it rather inviting in spite of the limited space and layout. Francis took a seat on one of Arthur's two chairs, crossing his legs primly. "It's no bother, we all must settle to get by sometimes, non?" Arthur sighed and nodded in agreement. "Indeed, my friend." 

Arthur's face lit up for a moment and he stood quickly, "Hang on a tick-" he opened his pantry and seemed to look around inside before victoriously coming back out with a bottle in hand. "Look what I have tucked away." He grabbed two wine glasses, waving the glasses and bottle with a wink. "It's not exactly artisanal but what can you do?" He shrugged, setting out the glasses and popping the cork quite easily. "Ah, the memories of our foolish teenage binge drinking." He reminisced jokingly as he poured them each a half glass. "Cheers to growing up." He said as he handed Francis his glass.

"To growing up." Francis agreed as they clicked the rims of their glasses, smiling when he took his first sip and glanced over at Arthur. They seemed to have rotated completely, Francis was now all put together with a successful career as Arthur struggled and became a bit of an outlier in society. When they were young it had been the other way, Francis had always been rather rebellious then, and he had a reputation for it as well. Arthur could have a bit of a rebellious streak, sure, but ultimately Arthur used to be the one who others saw as less trouble. He wondered how people saw Arthur now, and how Arthur felt about that. 

"I've missed you quite a lot, Arthur. I can't lie. I was heartbroken when my father cut off communication between us…" 

Arthur gritted his teeth, there it was, the elephant in the room. 12 years prior, they'd been cut off from one another quite suddenly when Francis' father spotted the boys kissing each other from afar when they were none the wiser. It had only been an act of curiosity crossed with their close friendship, nothing unexpected for their age, but Francis was spirited away from England faster than he could say goodbye. He was not even allowed to send letters, let alone call or visit. They'd been close friends for 7 years of their young lives at that point, and with that single act they'd been torn apart for 12 years. The gravity of it all hit Arthur at once and he set his glass down with a shaky hand. "12 years separated...all because of a bloody kiss. I thought I'd never see you again, you know?" Francis nodded gravely, looking quite misty eyed all of a sudden. "He never stopped after that, either. My life became hell. I was a bird trapped in a gilded cage. He hated every bit of who I was becoming, but he didn't stop me." Francis gestured to himself. "Here I am, a 32 year old self-made businessman who happens to love men and women equally, who could imagine it, Papa?" He proclaimed sarcastically, chuckling under his breath as he took another sip of his wine. 

Arthur sighed, leaning onto the arm of his chair tiredly. "I can't say much for myself, but we've got one thing in common-" he snickered, side-eyeing Francis intently as he said this. Francis raised an eyebrow with a knowing look, "Oh? And what would that be?" Arthur shrugged, "I'm a flaming bisexual obviously, what else?" He announced casually with a small wave of his hand. Francis nearly choked on a mouthful of wine, swallowing it before breaking into laughter. "My goodness, you're as candid as ever!" Arthur laughed along, a few snorts slipping through his filter. "Some things really don't change, I suppose." 

Francis set his glass down, looking over at Arthur with a thoughtful expression. "We have so much to catch up on." Something in his tone told Arthur that he wasn't alluding to nostalgia and general life events anymore. They'd missed out on spending their twenties together partying like most lads their age, they'd missed out on their potential for romance, they'd missed out on more than either of them could cover in words. Arthur hesitated, meeting his eyes. "We've got time now, haven't we?" 

Soon enough, they'd finished their wine and Francis had to excuse himself to return to his own apartment, apparently he still had unpacking to do from moving in. They exchanged numbers and even a brief embrace offered by Francis, who couldn't stop smiling despite not wanting to leave yet in truth. "I'll see you soon, oui?" Arthur nodded as Francis opened the door, double checking before saving his contact number. "Certainly, I'm not a busy man." Finally, they said farewell and Francis headed out, leaving Arthur standing in his living room processing the eventful evening. For the first time in a while, he felt genuinely hopeful and a bit optimistic.


End file.
